WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s chief spokesman abruptly resigned Sunday, three days after he publicly criticized the treatment in confinement of WikiLeaks suspect Army Pfc. Bradley Manning as ‘counterproductive and stupid.’

In a statement, P.J. Crowley said his remarks about Manning’s treatment, made at an appearance Thursday in Cambridge, Mass., were meant to highlight the impact of actions by U.S. security agencies ‘on our global standing and leadership.’

Lawyers for Manning, who is charged with unauthorized sharing of classified information, allege that he has been mistreated, including being forced to sleep naked, while in confinement at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va.

A Pentagon spokesman has said that Manning’s conditions of confinement are in compliance with U.S. laws, and suggested that officials are concerned that Manning might try to hurt himself.

At a press conference Friday, President Barack Obama was asked about Crowley’s remarks and offered the spokesman no backing, saying that the Pentagon had assured him that the conditions of Manning’s confinement were appropriate. ‘I can’t go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Private Manning’s safety as well,’ Obama said, without elaborating.

In a statement, Clinton said she had accepted Crowley’s […]